


The Seeds of Hope

by Cleverclove



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: AU?, Family, Fankid Fic, Fluff, MAKE @TALENNY4LIFE’S FANKIDS A TAG, Multi, The Summary Makes It Sound Angsty, after-canon, check her out please, it’s not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:13:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24221128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cleverclove/pseuds/Cleverclove
Summary: After VILE’s downfall, three survivors and one rogue put down roots and started families. In a twist of fate, these families were destined to meet through their young children. Sydney Sandiego knew nothing of what her parents or her best friend’s parents did in the past to know each other...only that it was over now, and only their rekindled friendship remained. Now she had her own life to step into.
Relationships: Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep/Gray | Crackle, El Topo | Antonio/Le Chèvre | Jean-Paul, Sydney Sandiego/Stella Bordeaux-Rivera
Comments: 52
Kudos: 47





	1. In Which Friends Meet (or Meet Again)

Sydney Sandiego was three years old when she crouched under the large oak tree at her daycare, still sniffling as she glumly munched on her last piece of lemon cake. In front of her, as if to further taunt her, children her age were yelling gleefully as they experimented with the play structure. In fact, Sydney was the only one not playing, not anymore at least. She told them, she _told_ her mommy and daddy she shouldn’t have come. But mommy and daddy only smiled and whispered sweetly that _everything would be alright_ and that she’d _make friends in no time!_

_ Mommy and Daddy lied,  _ Sydney thought bitterly as she looked at her scraped knee, now covered by a minion bandaid. She could  _ hear  _ kids laughing as she limped away. Her parents may have said the lie gently, but it was still a complete and utter lie.

All she wanted was to go home, into the arms of mommy and daddy and never come back to this terrible place again. But suddenly, like a shooting star, a little girl emerged from the playground and came bolting towards her, looking friendly. She stopped just shy of a few inches from Sydney and plopped herself down gracefully.

This girl smiled at her, little dimples crinkling when she did, and her chocolate brown eyes stared into Sydney’s bright blue ones warmly. She had dark skin and was a bit taller than Sydney. Her hair was brown with an odd silver streak, wavy, and pulled back into a ponytail with a headband that was the same color as her pale pink dress. It all looked very fashionable.

“Hi, I’m Stella. What’s you-w name?” She asked as she held out her hand. Stella, like Sydney and everyone else there, still had the kiddie accent that would grow out in a year or two.

Sydney looked down at the hand, afraid that this girl would laugh at her earlier fall. A feeling of nervousness overtook her. 

Stella looked hurt as she retracted it. “So-ww-y.” She sounded on the verge of tears as she got up to walk away. “I can leave.”

_ Oh no.  _ Sydney realized in horror that she’d hurt Stella’s feelings, and mommy and daddy wouldn’t like her hurting people’s feelings. Plus, it didn’t make her feel very good. “Wait,” she called after her, “It’s okay! You can stay if you wanna.”

Stella beamed again. “Okay!” She sat back down. 

“My name’s Sydney,” she offered shyly.

“Nice to meet you, Sydney,” Stella said kindly.

They sat in silence for a while. “Hey,” the other girl said, “I saw that kid pushing you off the slide. I think he’s a big…”

She looked for the right word. “...meanie!” Immediately, Stella covered her mouth, as if saying something terribly wrong. Which, for a preschooler, it probably was. 

Sydney, however, began to actually laugh for the first time that day. After recovering from the audacity of her words, Stella laughed with her, and they talked for a long time.

Once she was done eating, Sydney found herself walking hand-in-hand with Stella to the overhang. She picked up a piece of pink chalk and handed her the bin that held the rainbow of chalks. She opted for a nice purple piece. 

“Is pink your fav-ow-ite color?”

Stella nodded and grinned. “Yeah. Is purple yours?”

Sydney looked up from her butterfly and smiled back. “Mhm. I think it’s p-w-etty.”

“Wanna be fwends?” The suggestion came from Stella so quickly that Sydney did a slight double take.

However, she did like this girl. Quite a lot, actually. On the first day, Sydney already felt like she  _ was  _ friend material,  _ best  _ friend material even. She was kind and sweet and, from what she could tell from his reddened cheek when they were going home, didn’t like the jerk who pushed her off the slide.  _ Yep. Definitely best friend material,  _ thought Sydney. So they shook on it, chalk dust mingling on both their hands as they sealed their friendship. “Best fwends.”

————————————

She was four years old when Stella came over for their first playdate. 

It wasn’t planned. The idea wasn’t even  _ conceived  _ of until just a couple hours ago, just after they graduated preschool. Dad was just about to drive her home when Sydney asked if there would be school tomorrow.

“Nah,” laughed Dad in his Australian accent, “yer free, kiddo! No school for two an’ a half months.”

Clearly, he did not expect the wail that arose from Sydney. She sobbed, yanked free of her dad’s hand, and ran to find her through the sea of proud parents and students. Finally, after a good amount of jostling, she found her best friend. Stella had obviously just been told the same thing by her fathers, for the second her tear-filled face caught sight of her, she let go of her own dads’ hands and hurtled into Sydney. Returning it fiercely, the two little girls frantically wrapped their arms around each other, determined not to let the other go. 

It seemed her dad had somehow been able to track her down, for he approached her with a look of visible horror on his face. “Crikey!” He managed to pry Sydney off of Stella for a moment, despite her protests. 

“You  _ can’t  _ run off like that again, Syd.” That was his stern voice. Red flags danced wildly in Sydney’s brain. “I could have lost you or something-”

“I DON’T WANNA LEAVE,” wailed Sydney as Stella clutched her hand, “I don’t wanna leave Stella.”

Now Dad looked at the other girl beside her and softened somewhat. “I get that you don’t want to leave yer friend here, but you’ll see her next August,” he said soothingly.

Sydney sniffled. “But I wanna see her  _ now,”  _ she cried as she pressed her forehead into Stella’s shoulder. Suddenly, two concerned-looking men who were probably Stella’s dads appeared behind her and crouched down to her level.

“What were you  _ thinking,  _ Estrella!?” The taller man reprimanded in a French accent when he turned her around. 

“You really had us worried,  _ mija,” _ added the visibly shaken shorter one in a gentle Spanish accent. He had silvery hair, rather like the streak on Stella’s own lovely locks. He stroked her loose hair while holding another child, who, as Sydney knew by now, was Stella’s genius twin brother, Monty. 

Dad chuckled dryly. “So, mates, I suppose your girl ran off to find her bestie as well?” He looked up to face his fellow parents. Dad gaped at the other two men. Stella’s dads stared back, their expressions just as shocked. In the three fathers’ faces, there was a mix of shock and something Sydney knew was recognition. But how? They’d never seen their parents meet before.

After a solid minute, Stella’s dads spoke up at the same time.  _ “Graham??”  _

Dad could only nod in stunned silence. “Antonio,” he stated with a soft breath, “Jean-Paul.”

Sydney and Stella shared a look, that special look between best friends. It didn’t matter now  _ why  _ they knew each other’s names, only that they did. It could grant them the chance for a few more hours together. The devious, mischievous eyes turned to their fathers.

_ “Papá, père,”  _ Stella said in her sweetest voice, “it looks like you and Syd’s daddy have a lot to talk about.”

The Frenchman looked between the two children and two adults and narrowed his eyes.  _ “Oui.  _ We do.”

“Can you talk at my place? Only for a few hours.” Sydney formed her face into her puppy-dog eyes, used only in the direst of situations.

There was a pensive silence between the adults. 

Stella’s  _ papá,  _ who until now had stayed rather quiet, piped up. “It would not hurt.” He mumbled uneasily, looking down at the girls. He definitely did know her dad, and if his expression was anything to go by, it was complicated. “They get some time together, and we get to explain ourselves.”

The other two fathers seemed to weigh their options. Stella and Sydney stared between them hopefully. Finally, Dad gave way and shrugged, still looking slightly uncertain. “Well, I hope ya like pizza for dinner,” he grinned, but he was gazing at Stella’s fathers searchingly.

“Monty has soccer practice,” Stella stated matter-of-factly.

Stella’s shorter father knelt and asked Monty if it was alright if he went home with his soccer buddy tonight while the taller one called the father of one of Monty’s teammates. 

An hour later, that was how Sydney found herself playing Barbies in her room with Stella. Sydney was having the time of her life, and so, Sydney guessed, was Stella. She dug through the mess of toys to grab her favorite plushie to show Stella, the fluffy black sheep with a little purple ribbon she carried around everywhere. Stella giggled and said it would blend right in with Monty’s hair in the morning. 

The girls laughed and continued to talk about their school year and other kid things. 

When pizza (finally) arrived, Sydney turned on Disney Channel and  _ Mulan  _ was playing. They looked with rapt attention at the movie. The kids didn’t notice the adults sitting at the dining table in the other room, chattering quietly. Even if they did, they likely wouldn’t think much of it. It was not their problem, the grown-up stuff. 

But it wasn’t simple grown-up talk about taxes and how much they’d heard about the other parents’ child or even warm introductions. That was normal conversation for normal people. But these four adults were not normal people, and the events they were talking about were not normal events. 

For you see, Mom, Dad, and Stella’s parents all kept a dark secret between the four of them. Even though this secret had now been almost six years dead, the scars still lingered.

That secret was the Villains’ International League of Evil.

————————————

Antonio stared blankly at the counter, tapping it softly. “I understand if you two aren’t ready to forgive and forget just yet. Honestly,” he said, holding his head with his other hand, “we haven’t forgiven ourselves yet, either. I don’t think  _ I  _ ever will.”

Jean-Paul grabbed his husband’s hand, rubbing small circles on his palm. It was clear both were working on overcoming the guilt of their former careers. Graham knew the feeling and looked at them with knowing empathy. 

Carmen sipped her cup of coffee and observed quietly, a serious expression gracing her lovely features. She had been surprised, to say the least, when Graham walked through the door with the little girl in the living room. Gray  _ had _ called earlier to inform her he had…special guests coming for an afternoon. Of course she knew about Stella. Whenever she drove Sydney home, it was always  _ Stella and I did this  _ or  _ Stella and I did that.  _ Eventually, they had to meet this special friend for themselves, and today, they did. The real surprise were her parents.

She had been examining their actions and words cautiously all afternoon. As an ACME agent, the right hand woman of the remarkable Julia Argent, and her own scarring experiences with her former friends, she learned not to trust so easily. Admittedly, they hadn’t changed much in terms of appearance and personality. Antonio still had that muscular, stocky build and silvery hair. Jean-Paul also looked about the same, except for small patches of stubble that were growing into a goatee. Antonio kept the sweet, down-to-earth demeanor that was all too rare in the world, while Jean-Paul still held that serious gleam in his eyes. And of course, both were still obviously in love, made even more apparent by the wedding rings on their fingers. 

However, both were much better off. It seemed parenting had changed them profusely. She wasn’t sure if  _ they _ had noticed it, but at VILE, they were always afraid. Carmen could recall Antonio, when not helping people recover himself, was often locked in an embrace with Jean-Paul as his shoulders tensed from a meltdown. It wasn’t a pretty sight when he crumbled. As for Jean-Paul, the steel in his eyes melted immediately if he even heard Antonio was put anywhere near peril. Despite that, VILE was their home and quite possibly the only family they’d ever known. A toxic, broken family, but family nevertheless.

It seemed a few years with children opened their eyes to what a  _ real _ family could be, as well as, it seemed, the error of their ways. 

They agreed to come here so their daughters could play. That’s what they told the children, but the parents knew better. It was unspoken, but this was an apology. A chance to start again.

And Carmen…didn’t know what to do or say for the first time in a long while.

“We are not asking,” Jean-Paul muttered softly, snapping her out of her analysis, “for us to go back to how it was. Those days at VILE are gone, and it should stay that way.”

Antonio nodded, then added, “I just hope our past does not affect our kids’ friendship. They don’t deserve to pay for our wrongs. What do you say?”

Carmen nodded. He was right, it wasn’t the children’s fault they were born to the four of them, these four damaged humans who had made terrible decisions in the past. 

She hated to admit it, but she wanted them back in her life with no VILE to control them or keep them in fear. The past and VILE needed them no longer. Neither too did Carmen feel the need to hold it against them. After all, that was what she did with Gray, wasn’t it?

“I say,” she declared with a twinkle in her eye, “that the twins are welcome here anytime. And so are you, if you want to start again.”

Antonio smiled at her implied forgiveness. Then he slid off the long kitchen chair and captured her in a hug, small happy sobs escaping his lips. Graham joined, and so did Jean-Paul. The old friends stayed in this group hug for a good, long while. The friends were once again back together.

This time, they’d never part again.


	2. The Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sydney knew it was serious when mommy and daddy sat her down on the edge of her bed.
> 
> It was at the very edge of the bed that they told her everything. Secrets, all of them important, were always broken here. Here, she learned that maybe she would have had siblings, but Mommy couldn’t have any more.

Sydney knew it was serious when mommy and daddy sat her down on the edge of her bed.

It was at the very edge of the bed that they told her everything. Secrets, all of them important, were always broken here. Here, she learned that maybe she would have had siblings, but Mommy couldn’t have any more.

Her daddy, who mommy liked to call Gray when she thought she wasn’t listening, asked her to sit down. His features were still kind, but his eyes held a serious light that was very rare on him.

Panicked, Sydney struggled to speak. “Mommy, daddy, am I in trouble?”

Mommy, who daddy called Carm, made a small chuckle, caressing her little girl’s cheek. “No sweetie,” she cooed, “you’re fine.”

“If anything, love,” Dad said, his hand sweeping through his scruffy hair, “I think _we’re_ the ones in trouble right now.”

The way Dad said it didn’t ease Sydney’s worries. Sure, it had the usual charming, joking tone, but this time it sounded almost…tight?

“What does that mean, daddy?” 

Mom crouched down while Dad picked up her sheep and gave it to her, sitting down on the little purple chair where it once was. He took a deep breath and put his hand on Sydney’s lower arm. “It means that mommy and daddy have something to tell you. And it’s not gonna be easy to get through yer head, so stick with us, okay love?”

Sydney nodded, more curious now. Dad took a deep breath. “So you know how yer mum works at a place that catches criminals?”

“Mhm. Auntie Julia said it’s called ACNE?”

Mom and Dad looked at each other and burst into laughter. Sydney knit her eyebrows, confused. 

Dad managed to gasp out, “No Syd, ACME. You were close there! Acne is a whole other thing.”

“Then what’s acne?”

Carmen giggled as she stroked Sydney’s brown hair that was not dissimilar to her father’s. “You’ll learn when you get a little bit older, sweetie.”

Dad continued. “And you know how I’m an electrician, right?”

Sydney nodded, unsure where this was going. “Daddy, I know what you work as.”

A quick dart of eyes. A small, guilty shift of position. People often said children were more observant than adults. For Sydney, at least, that was very true. But then her mother spoke up. “Do you, though?”

“Mama, what does that even mean,” asked Sydney.

Mom and Dad sighed in unison. There was no avoiding it now. “Okay, Syd, yer mummy an’ daddy have something to tell ya about that.”

“We haven’t told you what happened before you were born,” added Mom, “and the reason why we didn’t was...we were scared.”

Dad piped up. “Yer mum grew up on a beautiful island, and the people on there taught her all that they knew. As for me?” 

He smiled, recalling his old home. “I grew up in Australia. Actually, the city I was raised in is what you’re named for, sweetie.”

“Unfortunately,” Mom said, her voice suddenly low, “the things they knew were how to steal things. Things people needed.”

Sydney couldn’t help but feel confused. “But why, Mommy? Why did they do that?”

“Because, sweetie,” she replied in that same haunted tone, “they could. If they wanted something, they’d do _whatever it took_ to get it.”

A million thoughts flooded Sydney’s brain. “Mommy grew up with bad guys?” she asked, feeling her eyes tear up.

“Not exactly, Syd,” Dad said with a slight shake of his head, “yes, there were bad guys there. _Really_ bad guys. But...there were also people who were confused or broken...or just in a really bad place in their lives.”

“Daddy?” Syd asked, her voice trembling, “were you also in that bad place?”

A simple nod. A heavy sigh. Once again, Sydney’s eyes caught these movements, and that gave the answer before it escaped his lips.

“You’re right, I was. And it’s something I regret more than anything.”

He reached out to grab her hand, but she felt so numb now; all she could do was jerk it away, looking at him with fear in her tearful, stormy eyes. She felt such confusion in that moment. Her mommy and daddy were the _bad guys?_ How could this be?

Dad’s eyebrows knitted in knowing sorrow and his posture sagged. Mom nodded, her eyes clenching shut. She felt this way only a few years ago.

“Sweetie, your father and I didn’t know they were the bad guys. But as soon as I found out the truth, I left.” Mom finally spoke, her voice quiet and serious.

“How did you _not_ know they were the bad guys?” Sydney’s heart quickened, and she backed up against the wall, tears flowing freely now.

“Well, Sydney, they lied. I never knew what they truly were until it was too late,” Mom explained, trying to keep Sydney calm.

“And Syd,” added Dad, equally gentle, “they really valued _family._ And for people who never had a real family or home before, that sounded like the best offer in the world.”

“Oh,” Sydney said, her tears drying up gradually, “but what happened when you left? You had no more family?”

“Well,” her mother said with a small, knowing grin, “not really. You see, sweetheart, after I left them, I found my true family.”

“But...you left your old family on the island?” Sydney couldn’t imagine having to do that.

“Well, not exactly. Some of them, yes, but others, not quite,” said Dad.

Sydney raised a questioning eyebrow. “Like who? Do we know anyone who’s a bad guy?”

“No, honey. Not anymore anyways.”

She gasped, her mind immediately flying to the worst possible thought. “Did you...did you _kill_ them?”

“Oh, honey, NO! _Never.”_ Mom exclaimed, shocked at her daughter’s words.

Feeling some relief, Sydney thought long and hard about her next question. “Who are...who _were..._ the people you’re talking about?”

Mom seemed to think about whether or not to tell her for a second, before she spoke up. “Well, your dad is one of them.”

The feeling of panic bloomed once more in her chest, and she backed up again. _“IS?”_

“Not anymore, kiddo,” Dad said soothingly, “I left that life behind years ago.”

Sydney didn’t know what to believe. So she asked her next question. “And mommy?”

“I did too, and for a long while, I worked against the bad guys. But I was not alone.”

“Who were you with?”

“Well, your uncle Player helped me,” Mom said fondly, “plus your Aunt Ivy and Uncle Zack. And eventually, ACME.”

That made sense. “Wait,” she asked, “not Uncle Dash or Auntie Athy?

“Well, not at first, sweetie. But they also found out how bad the bad place was, so they escaped.”

“And...what happened to the other bad people? Are they still out there?” The prospect that villains existed outside of her Disney movies scared her more than she could have possibly imagined.

“No, honey. The good guys like us were able to defeat the really bad people. The ones who were never really bad got the help they needed.”

“Oh thank _GOODNESS.”_ Sydney _knew_ Auntie Athy was too good. Uncle Dash, she wasn’t so sure about.

“But what about acne?” Sydney asked. 

“ACME, sweetheart.” Mom gently corrected, “And now, I work with them. I help keep the world safe with your Auntie Julia and Uncle Chase.”

Sydney snickered. “Mommy, you say Uncle Chase is a danger to _himself._ How does he keep the world safe?”

“Well, honey, sometimes he gets overexcited, but he, Auntie Julia and I all work together.”

“Good,” Sydney said, stifling another laugh, “he needs your help.”

Mom couldn’t help but smile a little. “But sweetie, the most important thing now is that the bad place is behind us.”

“And we have YOU.” Dad said. He hesitantly brushed her cheek. She let him. “Mummy an’ daddy wouldn’t trade you for the world.”

Sydney smiled. If she had learned one thing tonight, it was that her mommy and daddy really, really loved her.

The monsters were real, she realized. But her mommy and daddy left the monsters and they knew how to handle them. And with no fear, the monsters were nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written with the help of @talenny4life on tumblr! We hope you enjoyed!


	3. Stella’s Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> However, although their friendship hadn’t changed, the girls were growing up, and with age came the realization that things had changed about themselves. 
> 
> And that included certain things that they hadn’t before realized. Stella began to realize that she felt things for boys...and girls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, everyone!! Thanks for the patience, and enjoy! :)

Stella and Sydney. Sydney and Stella. Though the days of preschool were quite over, their friendship wasn’t. 

Ever since the day they met, the girls were practically inseparable. Their parents would often laugh and joke about it, but there was no mistaking that Stella and Sydney were friends to the bitter end.

However, although their friendship hadn’t changed, the girls were growing up, and with age came the realization that things had changed about themselves. 

And that included certain things that they hadn’t before realized. Stella began to realize that she felt things for boys...and girls.

This confused her at first, worried her even. Of course she’d been raised in a happy, accepting household. Her fathers raised her to always be open-minded. But what would her peers think? The anxiety rose inside her like a tidal wave. 

“Bisexual.” The word was so new to her, spoken by some friends of hers in passing conversation. But she _felt_ it, deep in her soul. It felt so right. 

Stella was bisexual. 

She felt a sense of relief, almost. Now she could pinpoint what she’d been feeling ever since she was a little girl. Why she liked princesses along with the princes. It all made sense now.

That was the easy part. Now she had to tell people.

The first people that came to mind were her parents. She couldn’t help feeling a little anxious, despite her parents' love for her.

Luckily, her brother was right there beside her, and he had something to say as well.

When Stella came out as bisexual and Monty as asexual, they were prepared for anything.

Her fathers were so proud of them both. It felt so good, like half the weight was taken off her chest.

Now she had to come out to her best friend. 

Her first thought was a simple “oh.”

Then it became “ _oh.”_

_Oh no._

Stella spent many nights deliberating on the matter. She’d heard that there were many phases to coming out. She supposed she was still in the dangerously stressed and anxious stage.

Sydney was quite open and accepting about this sort of thing. She didn’t seem to have a problem with others for their sexualities. But for some reason, there was still the underlying anxiety that Stella would lose her best friend after she told her. She couldn’t bear to tell Sydney one day only to confirm that her worst fears were true, that she would look at her in disgust and walk out of her life forever. 

On the other hand...coming out was such an appealing concept, and it would be nice to tell Sydney and have her share in the celebration.

She voiced her concerns to Monty one Saturday night and asked for his advice.

“Here’s my advice, sis: tell her,” Monty said flatly.

Stella threw a pillow at him. “Very helpful, Monty, thank you.” She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Look, I’m serious. I’m really freaking out here.”

Monty looked at her, more seriously this time. “I know, Stella, and I get it. But trust me, it’s better to tell her sooner rather than never. Weren’t you really stressed before we came out to dad and papa?”

She had to admit that he had a point there. “You’re right. But you’re not out to her either, are you?”

Monty shrugged. “Didn’t think I needed to. But if it’ll help you, I’ll come out to her with you.”

She reflected on it. _It would really help,_ Stella decided. She grinned at him. “Thanks, bro. I owe you one.”

“Actually, you owe me two. Remember when I did those chores when you were sick back in second grade-?”

But yet another pillow hurtled into his face before he could finish his sentence.

————————————

Stella, much to the chagrin of Monty, had not told Sydney for the next week. The more she thought about it, the more ill-advised it generally seemed. Every outcome she tried to envision turned into a worst-case scenario.

On Thursday, he cornered her before the bus came to pick them up. “Okay, Stella. It’s been _weeks._ A month even. What is seriously the worst that can happen?”

“I’ve come up with the top five worst things that can happen.”

Monty sighed. “Usually, I’d be very proud of you for doing that. But sis, you really have to put yourself out there. Otherwise, you’re going to go the rest of your life too scared to do anything.”

As much as she hated to admit it, that was a pretty good point. “I hate it when you’re right,” she mumbled.

He grinned. “I know. Now, I invited Sydney over and you are going to tell her in...five minutes.”

“Wait, _what?”_ Stella stumbled back in disbelief. “I can’t _believe_ you, Monty.”

“Sorry, Stella. But I’ll be here. I’m here.”

Reluctantly, she nodded. They hung out in silence until Sydney came.

“Hey, Monty.” Sydney and Monty nodded at each other genially. “So...what did you guys wanna talk to me about?”

“Actually, it’s Stella, mostly. But I’ll go first if she wants.” He glanced at her questioningly. She gave a thumbs-up. Maybe if she saw how she reacted with Monty, it would make her less terrified. “I’m asexual.”

Sydney grinned softly. “That’s awesome, Monty. Thank you for telling me.”

Monty beamed. He winked at his sister. Her turn.

“And you, Stella?”

She inhaled softly and closed her eyes. This was the time. “I think I’m bi.” 

For a split second, the world stopped, holding its breath for her reaction.

Sydney stared at her. Then she gave a brief chuckle. “Stella, is that what you’ve been so nervous about the last few weeks?”

“W-What do you mean?”

“You’ve been acting so anxious for, like, a month almost. I was beginning to get worried. But Stella,” she said, taking her hand, “it’s okay. And I’m sorry if I made you feel that you couldn’t tell me before.”

Stella didn’t know what to say. The words, the script she’d been meticulously preparing began to unravel. “N-No,” she managed to stutter, “it’s not you. I was just afraid that you’d see me differently and I couldn’t risk losing you.”

“You wouldn’t lose me,” Sydney said soothingly, “we’re best friends, remember? For better or for worse.”

Stella hadn’t realized she’d been crying until Sydney wiped away a few stray tears. “Th-Thank you,” she whispered to her.

“Of course.” They shared a hug.

Stella gazed at her brother thankfully. “I wouldn’t have done it without Monty’s help.”

Monty gave her a thumbs-up, smiling proudly at his sister.

When the girls pulled away, Sydney’s stormy eyes looked away for a moment, then spoke. “Actually, I guess I have a confession too. I think I’m a lesbian.”

Stella couldn’t resist the grin tugging at her lips. “Syd...that’s amazing. I’m so glad you told us.”

“I am too.” Sydney laughed a bit. “That is a _weight_ off my chest.”

All three shared a relieved giggle. “You have _no_ idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I slammed my face into the keyboard in the middle of the night to finish this chapter. We all know the feeling XD anyways, hope y’all enjoyed!! Once again, none of these OCs are mine, but @talenny4life’s on tumblr! Please check her out, she deserves more love than she gets. Love you guys!!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Cleverclove here. WHEW two fics in one today :D This is for @talenny4life. All fankids featured here are hers. I implore you to check her out, and I hope you all enjoyed!!! Link to her blog: https://talenny4life.tumblr.com/


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